Untilled We Meet Again
by Random Guise
Summary: The setup to the 2016 movie "This Beautiful Fantastic". Alfie Stephenson has a spare house to rent next door, but good neighbors are hard to find; even harder when you can barely stand people at all. I don't own these characters, and I've killed more flowers than a herd of goats let loose in a garden.


**A/N: Just how did Bella Brown come to live next door to Alfie Stephenson in the 2016 movie "This Beautiful Fantastic"?**

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Untilled We Meet Again

"Oh Rose, I wish you were here to help" Alfie Stephenson ruminated, standing in his backyard garden looking over the vast array of plants and flowers that covered virtually the whole area, save for a few narrow paths to tend to his precious flora. Even his greenhouse was filled with delicate flowers, kept warm and safe by the clear walls of the structure. Everything he knew about gardening he learned from his late wife of the ironically fitting name. Soil, water, fertilizer, sun and space were all mysteries to him until his wife drilled their importance into his thick head, as she pointed out often, to finally do some good.

No, that wasn't fair; she would have made an analogy to seeds and planting, germination and blooming in what formerly had been rocky soil. Now THAT was how Rose would have said it. Because, although she had taught him everything about gardening, she never did quite manage to impart to him her love of humanity. She always had time for a kind word to both stranger and friend, and treated each with equal respect and dignity. He watched her do it until the day she died in childbirth, and yet he still didn't know how she did it; it was far easier to just lock yourself away from people as much as possible and distance yourself from everyone, dealing with people only as necessary and for as short a time as needed.

Well, almost everyone anyway - there was the matter of upkeep. For himself, it was cooking; he was a disaster in the kitchen and left to his own devices would surely starve or die of some type of food poisoning - it was even odds which would have gotten him first. For that, he hired Vernon - an insufferably cheery father of two who could cook like no one's business. Fortunately the man suffered from hay fever so there was no chance he would stumble out into the garden and destroy it the way he could destroy laundry; Alfie's pink linens gave testament to the limitations of Vernon's skill set.

And then there was the cottage next door. He owned it, but had no need of it with his own to keep up; besides, the garden in the back was the only part of the property that interested him at all, and that was in good shape at the moment. He had used the connecting gate between the two to check on it and perform light maintenance of the grounds while it awaited a new tenant.

That was the problem. Alfie simply had no patience to conduct the interviews and screening necessary to get a reasonable person into the place - and be reasonable he meant would pay the rent and mind their own business while keeping the place up. That meant that he had to hire someone else to do that job, and although not savoring the prospect he managed to find a person by the name of Gideon O'Brien to hire for the position.

"Now understand this, Mr. O'Brien; in these matters you are to represent me, but in no way are any of the prospective renters to know that their landlord is also their next-door neighbor" Alfie said in a tone that made the matter quite clear. "I don't need them running over here every time a lightbulb needs changing."

"I understand Mr. Stephenson; I am the only name and face they are to know" Gideon nodded in his own dour way. That was what had ultimately decided Alfie to hire him; he looked the part of a landlord and acted with the detached manner one expected of a person in such a position.

"Furthermore, I have a few conditions. The house is to be kept up reasonably, in good repair and presentable. What manner in which it is decorated on the inside is of no concern of mine, save for any fire hazards or unacceptable noisy activity that might be going on.

"I understand, sir. Very good."

"I haven't finished. I do insist that the garden in the back be taken care of; if there's one thing I can't abide is an unkempt backyard. If she wants to plant flowers or peas makes no difference to me, as long as it is kept up. Lastly, after giving them a tour I would like you to conduct any interview in the rear where I can monitor the conversation. After you have gone over the prospects, present their particulars to me and I shall choose. Am I clear?"

"Very clear, sir. I shall start when you are ready."

"I am already 'ready' or I wouldn't have hired you, would I? Now do what you must and let me know when to expect the prospects. Off with you!" Alfie excused Gideon, who promptly left to set up the advertisement.

...

Two weeks later, Gideon returned with a summary of the applicants. He handed over the paperwork and stood waiting.

Alfie looked up from scanning the papers. "Yes?"

"Were you going to ask for my opinion, sir?" Gideon asked nervously.

"No. But it looks like you want to give it anyway; go ahead if you must."

"Right. We had six people round for the tour and interviews after I weeded out a few undesirables." Alfie wasn't sure if Gideon was trying to make a pun or not, and decided to ignore it regardless. "If you look through the applications, I think that Mr. Castleton is the best prospect. He seems to be gainfully employed, no bad references, and quite personable. Sir."

"Thank you. I think Miss Brown will do nicely. Please inform her."

"Miss Brown? I'm afraid I don't follow you."

"I didn't ask you to follow me, but I will ask you to follow your nose out the door. You did as I asked and I've made my decision; now please leave or I may make another decision that you _will_ understand" Alfie threatened. Gideon took the hint and left quickly, pulling the door behind him in haste.

Alfie walked to his rear window and stared out into the garden. There were many plants in his house, but somehow he felt closest to his late wife whenever he looked at or was in the midst of the garden. "Why did I choose her, Rose? She looked rather drab I have to say and was almost mousy, as timid as she was; it almost looked like she was afraid to touch anything outside in the back. But there was something...I'm not quite sure what...but some spark that reminded me of you. Mind you, it was a spark compared to the roaring bonfire that was your appreciation of life, but there was something in her eyes. Maybe if properly cultivated...bah, your husband is an old fool. She probably won't work out any better than the last one." He looked at the clock with expectation. "An hour to lunch, and then I've got some work to do aerating the back plot."

The End

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**A/N: What I might call a small film with a small cast and few sets - but "quaint" in its own way. The film starts with Alfie and Bella already neighbors, but this sets up the whole arrangement.**


End file.
